In conjunction with the ongoing Roy Lunn Exhibit, the Automotive Hall of Fame hosted a reunion on Saturday, April 21 of family, friends and colleagues of Inductee Roy Lunn (1925-2017).
Niki Lunn, Roy Lunn’s daughter spoke to the attendees about the life lessons her father taught her.
Niki Lunn speaking about the lessons her father taught her and the impact he had on her life
“He knew how to prioritize and how to show up on the day”, Niki said. “He’s always done that for me. And I appreciated that very much. It taught me a lot of lessons on how to live your life. Another big one along that line is you have to figure out what you’re good at. And once you know that, you can do that for the rest of your life and be a very happy and self-satisfied person in your work.”
Katerina Lunn, Roy Lunn’s granddaughter, also spoke to the group.
“You all know him as grandfather of the GT40, but I know him as my grandfather”, Katerina Lunn said. “I have spent most of my life looking up to him and trying really really hard to be as accomplished and incredible as he is and will forever be.”
Katerina later recounted how her grandfather helped guide her into a career in architecture.
“He said he would help me pay for college if I started as an engineer…I worked really hard that one year and I told him at the end ‘grandpapa, I’ll do engineering if that’s really what you want me to do, But I just fell in love with architecture and I think this is what I need to do.’ He said ‘Go for it. If you prove to me that you can do it, then I’ll support you.’ He actually bought me my first 3D printer and then helped me put it together…About three years ago, I walked in to see him and I just cut my hair really short and I was wearing this jacket and he said ‘well, you definitely look like an architect’ and after that I decided ‘okay, I’ve made it… as long as he thinks I can do this, then I can do it.’ I wear this jacket a lot, and I think about him every day.”
Katerina Lunn (left) and Niki Lunn (right), the granddaughter and daughter of Roy Lunn, pictured with a replica 1968 GT40 MKI
The exhibit, which highlights Lunn’s prolific career and accomplishments in the automotive industry, will remain open for public viewing through Sunday, May 6, 2018.
Featured are artifacts from his career, a video montage from the induction tributes and his acceptance speech. Two vehicles which represent Lunn’s greatest engineering achievements are also on display: a replica 1968 GT40 MKI and a 1984 Jeep Cherokee.
The exhibit is housed in the lobby of the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, MI and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. There is no charge to view the Roy Lunn exhibit. Visitors may tour the rest of the museum at standard admission rates.